The Fox Cub Friendly
by Foxfan1992
Summary: A fanfic about Fox's less-known son  and my personal favourite character  - Friendly.
1. Chapter 1

**The Humiliation...**

The fox cubs Bold, Charmer, Dreamer and Friendly were having a wrestling game, something they had been playing right from the start. Charmer and Friendly were wrestling right now, with Bold chanting for Charmer and Dreamer for Friendly. Friendly loved wrestling with Charmer, she was gentle like he was, she never used any form of force. Charmer and Dreamer liked wrestling with Friendly too, because he was fair, and gentle. However, Bold was the opposite. He was rough and also got a little carried away when it came to wrestling. Finally, Charmer was beaten by Friendly. And now he was to be up against Bold.

Bold, who was slightly heavier and stronger than Friendly had him down in almost no time at all.

"Ouch! Don't pull my fur!" Yelped Friendly

"Do you really think that an attacker like this, er... Scarface, is going to take any notice of that?" Bold smirked, pulling Friendly's fur harder.

"We're supposed to be playing a wrestling game!" Friendly snapped, "Ouch! That hurts!"

"Lesson time!" Called their mother

"Already?" Bold grumbled

"Don't argue!" Fox called

Bold rolled his eyes, but he grinned as he realized something... He knew exactly where the pinecone was! He ran along, as if he was eager to begin the lesson. He quickly retrieved the pinecone, and played around with it. He shook it and tossed it up into the air – as per the previous lesson.

"...Now, watch how I do it" Vixen said to her cubs. Friendly and Charmer watched curiously, but Dreamer's curiosity had made her attention turn to a butterfly – fluttering around by a little flower.

"Oh... what a dreamer" Vixen sighed. She hadn't noticed Bold sneaking around and snatching the pine-cone from under her nose.

"Where is it!"

"Bold hid it under the moss" Friendly sighed

Friendly retrieved the pinecone. His mother praised him as he returned, but Bold wiggled his tongue rudely at his brother.

"You naughty cub!" Reprimanded Vixen

"Ow!"

"Now you do it" Vixen said to Friendly, who neatly copied his mother's instruction – despite the distraction.

"I say, well done!" Badger cheered

"Good boy!" Fox smiled

"Very good, Friendly!" Praised Vixen

"Show off!" Bold muttered

A little later, after the cubs' had finished their lesson. Dreamer had just caught sight of a funny looking insect on a long grass stem, so she went over to examine it, Friendly saw her wandering off and went to join her.  
"What have you found there, Dreamer?" Asked Friendly  
"I don't know" She replied  
"What are you two looking at?" Said Bold, rudely.  
"Is there any need to be so rude?" Asked Friendly scornfully  
"There is when…" Bold began, but then he too caught sight of the insect, and he also fell into the mysterious depths of curiosity.  
"What can it be?" Said Friendly  
"That dear, is a Grasshopper" Said Vixen, who had wondered where all of her cubs had gotten to, and then saw them a little way down the hill in the giant daisy patch. Friendly, taken completely by surprise at his mother's sudden sentence, jumped up onto his hind legs, but he couldn't hold his balance – he fell backwards with a yelp.  
"What's wrong Friendly?" Vixen asked softly  
"You surprised me!" Cried Friendly  
"You're too squeamish aren't you Friendly!" Chuckled Bold  
"I'm sure you would have done the same thing!" Snapped Friendly  
"Me!" Laughed Bold "I'm not a scaredy fox!"  
"Bold!" Said a stern voice behind him, it was Fox.  
"Whaaa!" Bold yelped  
Friendly and Dreamer burst into laughter.  
"I told you he would have done the same thing" Friendly chuckled to Dreamer.  
"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Bold cried to his father.  
"Showing off again are you?" Sighed Fox  
"No" Bold said quickly  
"Good, well let's try to keep it that way" Said Fox, turning away to Vixen.  
"Just a minute, where's Charmer?" Fox asked  
"Right here, father" Charmer yawned, appearing from the earth, "What's going on?"

"You were asleep?" Dreamer giggled, "It was so funny!"

"What?"

"Bold was frightened by father!" Friendly finished, with a giggle

"He did not frighten me!" Bold sniffed, sticking his nose up proudly.

It was no good. Charmer, Dreamer and Friendly continued laughing together. Bold folded his ears down, but he could still hear his siblings' laughter, mocking him in his defiance.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Brotherly argument**

..."What about Toad? Anyone seen him?" Asked Fox

"No, that's the problem, he's disappeared" Whistler answered

Fox sighed, and left to look for Toad.

While Vixen was talking to Badger, Bold frowned at his brother cub. Friendly noticed this...

"What's with the frowning?" He asked innocently

"You're such a show off!" Bold shouted "I'm feeling rather left behind!"

"Well, I'd be willing to give you help if you were to even try to understand what the lesson is all about!" Friendly answered

"Umm, Well don't be a show off if you are good at it then!" Bold floundered

"Why are you arguing with me anyway? All I want is to succeed in life" Friendly said

"Yeah, and all I want is to enjoy life, and how can I do that when I have a push-over like you for a brother!" Bold shouted

"I am not a push-over!" Friendly exclaimed hotly

"Bold, will you stop harassing him? Or else he'll turn bitter" Charmer joined in

"I think I've already turned bitter" Friendly sighed

"No you haven't! You suit your name" Dreamer said

Vixen heard the cubs arguing and decided to sort it out.

"Now now, what are you arguing about this time?" She asked

"It's him there, being such a show-off" Bold sniffed

Friendly looked extremely hurt, how could his brother be so unkind to him?

"You shouldn't say that, that's very hurtful!" Vixen scolded "You should be more obedient, at least Friendly follows what he's told to do..." Vixen continued

"Little push-over" Bold muttered

"You may be my favourite of you four but..." Vixen's last sentence was cut short.

"Well, I know where I'm not wanted" Friendly sniffled, and he turned away.

"You shouldn't have said that, mother" Said Charmer

"Friendly, come back!" Vixen called tearfully

"You don't seem to want me around anymore. So it's goodbye" Friendly sobbed

"I didn't say that!" Vixen cried, she chased after him.

Vixen felt heart-broken, Friendly may have been extremely obedient but he did have feelings, and not only had Bold hurt his feelings, but even his own mother. She felt awful, but decided to explain what she had meant to say to Friendly first to see if that helped.

"Look, Friendly. Bold is my favourite because of his courage and bravery, but I like you just as good because, well you may not be as strong as Bold, but you are special in your own way, you are kind, friendly, and obedient. Something that Bold isn't just yet" Vixen said

Friendly smiled, he still felt a little neglected, but he certainly felt better now than before.

"Won't you come home? Staying out here alone would mean suicide" Vixen said to Friendly

Friendly nodded in agreement and both of them set off home. When they arrived, Vixen had an idea of a game for the cubs to play that didn't really involve being vicious or unkind to each other.

I know something you could do as a peaceful game, why not play a game of hide and seek?" Vixen asked the cubs

"Well, how do you play?" They asked in unison, all of their tails were wagging in excitement

"Well, you go and hide, and I'll count to ten, and when I've done so, I'll come and find you!" Vixen smiled "One... Two... Three..." Vixen counted

The four fox cubs dashed off to find their hiding places. Bold found a small hole to hide in, and he stayed there. Charmer found a log to hide behind, and Dreamer was lucky to find a boulder to hide behind. Friendly looked for somewhere to hide and just found a tree to hide behind, he got into one of the small crevices between the roots when Vixen finished counting.

"Here I come!" Vixen called

She looked in the earth, but nobody was in there except Fox. She peeked into a small bush, but nobody was in there, then she saw a small hole nearby, that's where Bold was.

"Oh you found me!" Bold chuckled

"Now you have to join me and help me find your siblings" Vixen instructed

"Vixen then looked behind an apple tree, where Friendly was hiding. Bold then found Charmer hiding behind a log...

"Found you! And how lovely to see you too!" Bold chortled. Charmer giggled.

"You're quite the charmer yourself, Bold!"

Friendly actually evaded capture from Vixen, that is until he sneezed.

"You silly boy, you gave yourself away!" Vixen chuckled

Friendly ignored his siblings' laughter, and he quickly found Dreamer behind a boulder. She was actually eating a few insects around it.

"Ah, there you are!" Friendly said to her

"Eh? Oh yes!" Dreamer chuckled "I forgot for a minute that we were even playing this game"

"Come on then, let's get back to the earth, this way" Friendly answered

Dreamer and Friendly exchanged glances for a moment and then they set off to the earth, together. Both Friendly and Dreamer were the closest to having sibling love...


	3. Chapter 3

**The Swimming Lesson**

Vixen had decided that the cubs did need swimming lessons, as they were likely to come across a river or a stream when they were fully grown and left for independence. So she took them down to the pond for a lesson on swimming. Vixen paddled into the water and showed them how to stay afloat in the water. Bold picked it up almost instantly, Charmer and Friendly followed, Dreamer just about managed to stay afloat.

But Bold had other ideas to staying afloat, he decided to go the full length and give his brother a little fright. He dived under the water and looked around for his brother, he wasn't far away. He swam under the water and came up almost directly underneath Friendly.

Friendly yelped in shock. He began to flail around in panic, disappearing underneath the water a couple of times. Vixen dived in to Friendly's rescue. Bold couldn't help laughing out loud, Friendly scowled at him as Vixen guided him back onto the dry land.

"What did you do that for?" Friendly asked, he was shocked at his brother's will to humiliate him, he would go to any limits and even exceed them to do so.

Charmer saw everything, and she showed signs of sympathy. Dreamer also looked sympathetic. Friendly noticed this, and for this he loved his sisters all the more, but Bold didn't reply, he just grinned – of course he still had the slightest ray of sympathy in his heart, but he didn't dare show it.

"Bold, can't you just leave your brother alone? Any more humiliation from you and it will be to bed without supper!" Vixen warned Bold.

Bold's grin disappeared and a scowl crossed his face. Why couldn't he get away with anything?

Friendly had recovered from his fright and he felt a little safer now, but he was still worried about one thing. There was something hiding in the bushes... he could smell it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Farewell, beautiful Dreamer**

Bold was once again trying to humiliate his brother by wrestling him, and Charmer was playing the role of a referee; just in case Bold tried to do something to Friendly. Dreamer had followed a butterfly, and she had just walked onto a small hill. What she didn't realize was that Scarface, the enemy Blue Fox, was hiding in the bushes. When he saw Dreamer wandering up the hill, he saw his chance to strike at one of Fox's cubs. But this one seemed to live in her own world, she was peaceful, she posed no threat. It struck a chord in Scarface's old cold heart, even though he wanted revenge, he couldn't bring himself to attack this cub. Dreamer had watched the insect land on top of a flower. She then noticed a pair of yellow eyes watching her from the bushes, she yelped in shock. Scarface saw his chance and pounced on her pretty quickly. There was nothing for it, if she hadn't seen him then he probably wouldn't have attacked her, but she had seen him, so he had to kill her otherwise he would have been caught spying on the cubs once again. He really wanted to remain under-cover and kill without the trace of anything that lead to his responsibility. In other words, he wanted to do it surreptitiously. But somebody had seen the attack, it was Adder. She hissed viciously at Scarface, and he backed away from Dreamer. Scarface was frightened by the adder, willing to protect a fox cub. He ran off, leaving nothing but a scent behind.

"Adder!" Dreamer gulped "That blue fox almost had me! You saved my life, thank you!" Dreamer smiled at her

Adder didn't wish to be congratulated on saving a vixen's life again, but she saw the gleam of appreciation in Dreamer's eyes and recognized that Dreamer's gratitude was purely genuine.

Suddenly, Adder felt something step on her tail, she hissed threateningly and struck at the front legs. Unfortunately it was Dreamer who had stepped on Adder's tail, she fell over, her eyes closed and she moved no more. Adder was shocked, she had saved Dreamer's life and then taken it way from her! What was she to do? She slithered away, and hid her guilt, it was pretty easy for her, but it still shocked her somehow...

Dreamer yelped loudly as Adder bit her front left leg. She fell over and started to dream... about rather weird things – things that would be the future...

Friendly heard the yelp of shock and tried to break free of Bold's grip, but it was no use. Bold had him pinned down the the ground hard. Fox had also heard the yelp and rushed to where he thought it had come from. He stopped and saw Dreamer's body, she wasn't moving. Fox sat down beside her and tried to find evidence of her being alive, but he didn't know where to look. As far as he could see, she was dead.

Fox rang out his cry of distress to Vixen. Bold, hearing it, released his grip on his brother. He realized there had been an attack. Friendly feared the worst for his sister, a sister he had loved because of her specialty and her kindness. Something that he smiled at every time he looked at her. He felt rather empty now, of course Charmer was the same, she was kind, friendly, and she understood how Friendly felt.

Then they found Dreamer by Fox's side, dead.

"This is the work of Scarface!" Fox growled

A tear shed down from Vixen's eyes.

Suddenly there was a cackle from the bushes, it was Weasel... Fox went to confront her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A fright from father**

"What difference does it make if it was this year's or last?" Badger asked "The point is, if it was one of... Scarface's tribe, he'll be after revenge!"

"He's bound to suspect the Farthing Wood animals" Friendly said worriedly, "We'd better be ready dad" He had meant to suggest a point and put his opinion on the subject, but Fox's answer was frightening and extremely alarming.

"Ready? You mean 'ready' to defend ourselves? No! We've got to attack! We've got to get him before he gets us! That's all there is to it!" And following that came a very angry snarl, showing how exasperated Fox really was. Poor Friendly was frightened out of his wits at this sudden display.

"You sound just like Scarface" Vixen whimpered "Perhaps we older ones should let the young ones sort things out" She looked at Charmer. Charmer looked a little confused.

"What madness" Fox said "Friendly might be game, but he's not up to Scarface yet..."

"That isn't what I meant!" Vixen snapped

"What Vixen meant – if you don't mind my saying so Fox – is that you and I... aren't getting any younger" Badger said

"Speak for yourself!" Fox retorted

"Oh I say!" Badger exclaimed

"Don't be upset Badger, Fox didn't mean it" Vixen said

"Be quiet!" Fox snapped "You don't know what you're talking about you old codger! It was one of the young ones – as you call them – that got us into this trouble in the first place!" Fox shouted

"So I don't know what I'm talking about don't I? Well in that case... no point in staying is there?" Badger turned away, leaving the foxes to discuss their .

"I wonder how life's treating our poor Bold" Vixen sighed

"Poor Bold?" Retorted Fox "He deserves whatever he gets!"

Friendly was utterly shocked at what his father had just said, his brother may have bullied him, but he was sure he didn't deserve as much agony as 'whatever he gets!'

"Why are you being so... so... hard hearted?" Vixen asked, "and why did you shout at Friendly?"

Fox sighed "I'm really worried, what if we lose more of our friends and family?"

"We won't, we ought to let the cubs take watch, it'll make sure that no more of our friends die from Scarface's brutality"

"I agree, I ought to make myself useful for a change"  
"No! I'm not about to lose more of my cubs to Scarface" Fox cut in

"I'm just trying to be helpful" Friendly sighed sadly

"There's a difference between being helpful and getting in the way" Fox snapped

Friendly was crestfallen, why was his father treating him like this? He never normally did.

"Why did you snap at him like that? He's only trying to help" Vixen said sympathetically. She looked at Friendly, who looked rather upset.

Fox suddenly realized what he had done, and looked ashamed of himself, but the damage was done. Friendly was worried for his own safety, and all because his father had over-reacted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Intruder Alert!**

Charmer was on watch, and she was talking to Ranger, she desperately asked him to leave, but he wouldn't listen. Friendly approached and saw Charmer talking to 'the enemy', he snarled in anticipation – now was his chance to make himself proud! He approached the blue fox cub, growling warningly at the 'intruder'.

"Hi there, I'm Ranger" Said Ranger, trying to make friends. Friendly snarled.

"Ranger doesn't mean us any harm" Charmer said, "He doesn't believe in the hatred between our two tribes any more than I do"

"You don't believe in it?" Friendly asked, and then he realized what Charmer meant.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Ranger whined

"He doesn't believe in it? Are you sure?"

Ranger growled, feeling insulted

"He can't be that friendly, he's growling at me!" Friendly thought, "Look at him!" He said

"When it comes to Charmer..." Ranger began, but Charmer stopped him

"It's all right, I'm all right!" Charmer cut in

"If you're sure" Ranger said, there was a tint of worry in his voice

"I'm sure, please go!" Charmer pleaded

"So... this is how you guard your family?" Friendly exclaimed

"Ranger means no harm! He came in friendship" Charmer answered, she was upset.

"We'll see what father has to say about this!" Friendly replied and turned away. Charmer turned back on watch, but she couldn't hide the little bit of anxiousness she had.

Friendly thought about what he had just said and realized he didn't really want to tell Fox, especially after his recent fright. But he didn't want the situation to go ignored either. He decided to hold on to it for a little while, and then he'd tell Fox if it got out of hand. Then he realized he hadn't actually been very friendly recently, and became aware that something was changing him for the worst. He didn't want to change, he wanted to remain as friendly as he had always been, but he also realized why he had been unfriendly to Ranger. He was a son of Scarface, and Scarface had killed one of his sisters, one of his best friends. He was stuck about what to do. He didn't really want another fright from his father, but he did want to remain loyal to them. He decided to have a talk to Charmer about it first. He was shocked to see that Charmer was actually sobbing...


	7. Chapter 7

**The Broken Promise**

"Please don't tell him! I'll be in utter trouble and I'll have to leave the park like Bold did, I don't want to! Friendly please!" Charmer begged. Her sadness nearly shed a tear down Friendly's muzzle. Friendly knew he didn't want Charmer to leave, but he knew that if he didn't tell his father and he found out some other way, then he would also be in deep trouble. Friendly was stuck in a heart-wrenching and a need-for-responsibility situation – he hated these sorts of things – but he left casually and looked back at Charmer, he could tell that she was close to tears. Friendly slowly nodded absent-mindedly at his sister. Charmer sighed in utter relief.

Later, Friendly decided he had to tell his father, he'd try to tell him in a casual manner, but this wasn't easy. Fox was pretty easy to flare up. He'd have to say it normally or otherwise it would look rather suspicious. The problem was, Friendly caught Charmer at it again. He realized he'd really have to tell Fox about it, this was seriously urgent. He set off to do his business.

"Friendly. You should be on watch, Charmer will be waiting for you" Fox said

"Charmer? Oh yes, she was waiting for someone all right, but it wasn't me" Friendly answered

"What do you mean?" Asked Vixen inquisitively

"I caught her with Ranger, Scarface's son, they were acting very friendly!" Friendly said

"What?" Fox exclaimed

"Disgraceful!" Owl answered

"I had a feeling this might happen" Vixen sighed

"Treacherous cub! What has she told you?" Fox snapped at Vixen

"Nothing, and she's no traitor – or at least she doesn't mean to be" Vixen answered

"What does it matter what she means to be? A traitor is a traitor!"

"She's in love! Don't you remember how it was Fox?" Vixen asked

"Well... It was different with us! We're both red foxes, this..." Fox stopped as he hadn't quite caught the name of the blue fox cub Charmer had met.

"Ranger" Friendly said smugly

"...Ranger, is blue" Fox finished

Charmer approached, she had heard almost everything and she looked very uneasy.

"You promised you wouldn't tell him!" Charmer said to Friendly, almost tearfully

"No I didn't!" Friendly jumped, he felt that if he admitted to making a promise about it he would also get into major trouble.

"Yes you did!" Charmer argued

"SHUT UP!" Fox roared "So, we were not to know about this, Ranger of yours? Hm?"

"I would have told you myself when the time was right!" Charmer answered

"The time could never be right, you and he could never make a match!"

"How can you say that? You haven't even met him!" Charmer said, tears started to well in her eyes

"I don't need to! You're red, he's blue, what more do you want?" Fox said

"We're young! What difference does our colour make?" Charmer said a little defensively, she knew she was right, but she also knew it was very possible to be of no use.

Friendly decided to stay out of this for the time being, it was getting out of hand for him to handle. He'd leave it to his parents. He was surprised when his mother asked Fox to meet Charmer's admirer, Ranger...


	8. Chapter 8

**A funeral and lovers' tiff**

"Friendly, perhaps you could make yourself useful and follow Charmer, to see if anything goes wrong for me" Fox asked

Friendly nodded and set off after her, but he did it surreptitiously.

When Friendly found Charmer and Ranger together, he followed his father's order, to keep an eye on them for any trouble. Friendly hid behind a tree and some bushes to complete his task without being seen by the two lovers.

"...I'm sorry Ranger, it was meant to be, your father" Charmer apologized

"So! It was no accident! My father was right, Bounder's death was part of a plot against us! Well then, I'm glad I told him!" Ranger answered.

"What? What did you tell him?" Charmer asked anxiously

"I told him where to find your precious snake!" Ranger finished

"You told Scarface? Oh no but.. but Adder saved my mother's life! He mustn't hurt her!" Charmer protested

"She would have killed my father!" Ranger exclaimed, he walked away from Charmer – angry at himself and feeling grief for his older brother.

"Ranger!" Charmer called, she was terribly upset.

"Bounder was my best friend! The best older brother any young fox could have had!" Ranger retorted, "He was harmless!"

Friendly retreated from his hiding place and paced towards the family earth.

"Charmer's not happy" Friendly said

"A lover's tiff?" Asked Fox

"Poor Charmer" Vixen sympathized

"Poor nothing! It's the best news I've heard all day!" Fox snapped

Suddenly Mossy appeared in front of them from beneath the earth.

"Fox! Is that you?" Mossy asked, he seemed terribly worried

"Yes Mossy, what's wrong?" Fox answered

"It's Badger, I think he's... dying" Mossy finished

"Badger! Oh why was I so rude to him the other day? We must go and see him!" Fox exclaimed

Vixen and Friendly nodded in agreement and they all ran to Badger's sett, to find him battered by senile dementia. He thought he was still in Farthing Wood.

"Badger, old friend? Badger?" Fox asked

"Ah, Fox. Come to persuade me to leave Farthing Wood have you? No, I could never leave my old home, my birthplace" Badger rambled. Fox and Vixen looked crestfallen at Badger's state. He wasn't like this before.

"Badger, I'm sorry I was unkind to you" Fox apologized

"A fox... Worried about kindness? I must be, in... heaven" Badger said, these were his last words, he took his last breath with a small chuckle.

"Badger!" Fox cried sadly, he was utterly depressed now, he had been unkind to his best friend and this was his punishment, his best friend had died before him.

"He's gone... He really has gone!" Vixen cried

Mossy sobbed at Badger's side. Fox, Vixen and Friendly sat in silence around him, remembering the good times with their deceased friend – the badger who was a friend to everyone.

Later, the entire Farthing Wood community had heard of Badger's death and all of them dashed to his sett. Then the funeral began. But Charmer was nowhere to be found. Every one of them sobbed with grief as Badger's set was blocked off by a Boulder. Mossy's sobbing was the loudest, by far.

"At least I don't have to pretend to be my father any more" Mossy sighed, and he turned away.

Memories of Badger were in all of their minds. Mossy thinking about when he was mistaken for Badger just after he had frightened Friendly. Friendly was thinking about when he was listening to Badger's tales about the Farthing Wood travels, and reminding him of where he was in the story a couple of times. Friendly also thought of how happy Badger was when he saw Mossy. Fox and Vixen were both thinking of when Badger greeted Vixen into the Farthing Wood community back at the Spinney, and when she took the oath along with Whistler at the quarry. Fox also thought back into his cub-life when he had first met Badger, they had become friends, and had been friends ever since. Now, he was gone...


	9. Chapter 9

**Brotherly Love**

..."I'm going to warn you, you must not harm my sister in any way, if you do then I will be at her side to defend her, or even avenge her if she dies. I hope you understand that" Friendly warned Ranger

"Don't you worry, I'll look after her" Ranger answered "I had nothing to do with your sister's death, and I am not at all like Scarface"

"Really? You look an awful lot like him" Friendly said suspiciously

"Friendly, he will do nothing against me, you heard father. He is honest and you have to make do with that" Charmer protested "I know he will do nothing to hurt me"

Friendly knew he was fighting a losing battle with these two, he let them be. It was none of his business what his sister did really. He turned away from them, but now he felt rather alone. This was not good for him, he hated being alone.

"Oh, now what have I done? Charmer was right, I am turning bitter" He sighed, and looked up to the sky. He was remembering Badger, remembering how Fox had told him about how he had become friends with Badger, and wondered if something the same were to happen to him. He certainly hoped so, he couldn't stand being alone like this. Friendless, unhappy and turning bitter. He turned back to the den and went inside. He sighed and fell asleep. Fox didn't notice his son's unhappiness, but Vixen did. After a little while, Vixen went down to talk to her son.

"Friendly?" Vixen asked

Friendly stirred and yawned. He had been having a dream about Dreamer, she didn't die in this dream, a blue fox came out and took her with him – like Ranger and Charmer. Friendly wasn't sure if this dream was real, but he had enjoyed it. He didn't want to return to reality again, but he knew he had to.

"Friendly, what's wrong?" Vixen asked

"I just feel rather, alone" Friendly answered sadly "At least when Dreamer was around I had someone to talk to who wasn't bullying me or ignoring me"

Vixen understood, she had had two siblings in her cubhood, but they had always played together and left her out. She fully understood how her son felt. Dreamer had been taken away from him, Charmer had been taken too, Bold had never really played fair with his brother, and Fox was too busy worrying about the threat of Scarface.

"Poor Friendly" Vixen thought "He shouldn't have to live through this"

"Why should I be so lonely?" Friendly thought "What have I done to deserve this?" A tear was welling up in his left eye, he could feel it. He also felt the sadness welling up in his heart.

Vixen laid down next to her son, she still felt sad for Bold, wondering how on earth he was doing on his own, but she was also worried about Friendly, he had been so named because of how friendly he was to Owl, and to everybody else; but he was changing – mostly because of current events. He didn't want to be unfriendly and Vixen knew it, but he was changing...

Fox then entered the earth, he was wondering where Vixen and Friendly were.

"Friendly, it's your turn on watch" Fox said

Friendly nodded and left absent-mindedly.

"I think something's upsetting Friendly" Vixen said to Fox

"Something's upsetting everyone" Fox cut in "Adder failed to kill Scarface, and now everybody's on high alert"

"I know, but Friendly seems to be changing, and I don't like the look of it" Vixen answered

"I'll have a talk to him" Fox nodded, "- When he gets back"

"Now, Friendly. What we'd like to know is, what is bothering you?" Fox asked

"Well to put it a better way, we'd like to know why you aren't being yourself lately" Vixen said

"It's the threat of Scarface mainly, but after receiving such a fright a little while ago I've been afraid to even say such a thing against any orders" Friendly answered

Fox nodded "I'm sorry for that, son. I'm extremely worried about the threat of Scarface, and also about what he could do to all of us"

"I know" Friendly said

Just then, Charmer arrived – she had been hunting, and had caught herself a mouse. She went down into the earth to eat it.

"How's Ranger?" Friendly asked curiously

"Oh, just give it a rest, Friendly" Charmer sighed

"I'm only asking!" Friendly exclaimed

"He's fine, and so am I. No thanks to you!"

Friendly sighed and turned away. Fox left to begin the night-watch.

"That wasn't very kind, Charmer. Friendly's worried about your safety, is all"

"Really? And why should he be worried about me?"

"He loves you. We all do" Vixen said

"So does Ranger" Charmer said, "I'm going to see him now! I should be back in a little while"

Friendly watched his sister leave, unhappily. It wasn't too long ago that Charmer had been his best friend, but that was all in the past... a tear fell down his cheek, landing without a sound on the ground below.


End file.
